Children Of Watamu

While browsing on the Internet, John came across our Work to do Page. He saw that we had renovated a building to provide classrooms for the baby classes but unfortunately we did not have enough funds to replace the roof.

In May 2006, John and his friend, Damien Bell, met up with me in Watamu to see the work for themselves and to source the necessary materials. I am delighted to say they  replaced the roofand also to built a playground for the children. Sometimes I feel that we have been so busy looking to the education of thesechildren that we forgot that they also need to play.

John had received a donation from a friend for the charity work. Within a few hours it was changed into concrete blocks, sand and cement and sundry other building materials to continue with the building of the main school.

My husband Dave and myself were invited to Dublin in June 2006 for the planning meeting of the project which the group had decided to undertake in Watamu. One of their fund raisers was to run in the Women's Mini Marathon. It was fantastic to see all the group wearing their Working for the Children of Watamu tee shirts.

The school headmaster, Silas, had meetings with parents to arrange for them to work with the building group when they arrived in September 2006. The land allocated for the playground area was cleared in readiness; there was great excitement in the school community. When all the work was finished the school  arranged to have a sports day to say a big Thank You to all the very hard working gang from Ireland.

In November 2006 the Irish flew into Blackpool from Dublin to attend our main Charity event of the year. I am delighted to say they presented the charity with a cheque for 10,000 Euros the remainder of the funds they had raised for the September 2006 trip. We decided that a Secondary School was a greatly needed  and this money went a long way to building that school in March 2007. Again this great group of people worked hard at fund raising and came back Watamu in February 2007 to put the roof on our beautiful new secondary school.

They made and bought desks and chairs fitted the doors and windows and did a brilliant paint job inside and out! John Byrne also presented the charity with a cheque for £10,000 which will put into the Happy House Fund.

John, and a group of 15 volunteers some from previous visits, and some new recruits retuned to Watamu in April 2008. During the February 2007 visit, it had been decided that they would finance the building of two workshops to used by the children for various activities. Sewing for the girls, wordworking for the boys and other various activities. A block of toilets has also been built.  The group will complete both the workshops and the toilets during this latest visit.

April 2008 The Irish have arrived and started work on the workshops and toilets

Click on images to see more

John has decided to start his own charity and to our delight he is calling it Friends from Ireland. If you would like any further information  John  can be contacted  at johnab@eircom.net John intends to carry on with his support for The Children of Watamu and is already planning his next working project to support our work for the Happy House.

Myself my fellow trustees and The Children of Watamu wish to thank John and his group for their continued support and wish them every success with any  projects they decide to undertake.

The new web site for this fantastic group of people can be visited at www.friendsfromirleand.ie